Why is Allegemeine SS Headgear So Rare?

With modern computers and fine color printing, many new collectors don't realize how primitive reference material was just a few years ago. Here's an article from 1971. The text is hand printed and the magazine was produced on little better than newsprint. It was the best that could be done at the time and collectors were glad to have it. Below is the text reproduced... by computer...so it's a little easier to read. GMC

DURING THE LAST OF THEIR DAYS AS HITLER'S ELITE' AS BOTH RUSSO AND ANGLO AMERICAN FORCES DREW NEARER THEIR BELOVED BERLIN. THE SS MAN WAS, FOR THE FIRST TIME, MADE TO RECOGNIZE HIMSELF. REALIZING HIS ENEMY WOULD NOT HONOR BUT DESPISE THE MEN WHO MOST STOOD FOR ADOLF HITLER.THE SS OFFICER AND ENLISTED MAN, IF CAPTURED, WOULD BE MADE TO ENDURE SUCH TREATMENT AS EVEN HE COULD NOT PERCEIVE.

MULTITUDES FOUND DESTRUCTION OF THEIR UNIFORMS A POSSIBLE MEANS OF ESCAPE. . . RE-UNIFORMING THEMSELVES AS MEMBERS OF THE ARMY... OR EVEN AS CIVILIANS! MANY SUCCEEDED...THOSE WHO DID NOT SOON WERE IN THE . HANDS OF THE VENGEFUL RUSSIANS. THEIR FATE UNKNOWN.

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE COLLECTOR?

...BY POINTING OUT THAT, THOUGH ONCE A PLENTIFUL AMOUNT
OF ALLEGEMEINE SS UNIFORMS CERTAINLY DID EXIST, THE WAR
ITSELF BROUGHT ON A MASSIVE REDUCTION IN ITS' QUANTITY.. .
AND THAT THE GREATEST VOLUME OF EXISTING ALLEGEMEINE SS
EQUIPMENT IS, IN ALL PROBABILITY. PRESENTLY IN RUSSIAN HANDS.

THIS BRINGS US TO THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FACT... WHICH IS, THAT THOSE COMPANIES, IN THE BUSINESS OF REPRODUCING NAZI MILITARIA, ARE WORKING "DOUBLE TIME" IN PRODUCTION OF ALL PHASES OF ALLEGEMEINE SS HEADGEAR! IN THE NEXT OF MY ARTICLES ON HEADGEAR, I SHALL ATTEMPT POINTING OUT SOME 'RULES OF THUMB" IN IDENTIFYING SUCH REPROS.

Dennis Lewis, Why is Allegemeine SS Headgear So Rare?, Der Hakenkreuz, 1971